Article by Umberto Scaramozzino | Photo by Alessia Belotti
Ten years after their first Italian concert, i Glass Animals they return to our country for a unique date at Alcatraz in Milan. It's not sold out, but there is the right formula to leave a nice trail behind you and, through a predictable feverish word of mouth, make sure that no one wants to miss the next appointment.
Let's start from the sore points and let's not hide: there are many doubts about the current path of Glass Animals. The risk of going down in history as a band that fell into the trap of the one-hit wonder has not yet been averted and the last two studio albums struggle to bear comparison with the first two, despite the real hit of worldwide success – “Heat Waves” – is found in “Dreamland”, penultimate recording chapter. The variety and fascinating originality of his early works soon gave way to repetitiveness and a production that was as recognizable as it was predictable, almost too glossy.
Everything suggests that it is already time to talk about a downward trajectory for a career that has just crossed the finish line of its first decade. Yet one element is missing, one of the most important of all: live music. Concerts are still where i Glass Animals they can flourish and make their way in a world where obsolescence is an angry monster that stalks every artist still searching for a clear personality.
Live as I am Glass Animals of 2024? Explosive, funny, overwhelming. They also manage to revive the less convincing songs of the new album, “I Love You So F***ing Much”, proving to still have a very solid and catchy sound. In terms of entertainment, the evening rests almost entirely on frontman Dave Bayley's shoulders, which are broad enough to make the Oxford boys' show memorable. The leader of the Glass Animals spares no effort and puts on an act like an authentic pop star, which makes up for a very poor live production.
The stage seen on the dates in the arenas was truly remarkable, both in terms of concept and visual impact, but by downsizing the show for the clubs everything was reduced to the bare bones. We feel the lack of a classic LED wall with visuals, which would have been more than sufficient to enhance their bewitching art pop, but at the same time this compromise forces us to focus on Dave's skills, on his ability to control the audience and make every single person at Alcatraz dance. Even when he walks off stage and crosses the club to reach the mixer and sing “Gooey” surrounded by fans, he does so surrounded by a luminescence all his own and with a contagious energy. The only extract from the debut album confirms itself as a rare gem.
Speaking of energy, judging by the public response, it seems that “A Tear In Space (Airlock)” And “Show Ponies” can very well keep up with the best pieces of “How to Be a Human Being”, at least live. There is also an unexpected sense of cohesion in the project, the same one that is increasingly difficult to find in the studio.
And so, perhaps, the true art form of Glass Animals consists in creating a dimension, understandable only for those who want to go beyond the blanket of glitter and synths and let themselves be guided by the English band on an apparently predictable sonic journey.
Maybe the mistake was thinking that i Glass Animals they were to be the “next big thing” and bringing them back to Earth could be their salvation and our satisfaction.
Click here to see photos of Glass Animals in Milan (or browse the gallery below).
GLASS ANIMALS: the lineup of the Milan concert
Life Itself
Your Love (Déjà Vu)
Wonderful Nothing
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
A Tear in Space (Airlock)
Creatures in Heaven
Youth
Lost in the Ocean
Gooey
Show Ponies
The Other Side of Paradise
Take a Slice
Pork Soda
BIS
Tokyo Drifting
Heat Waves
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM